One sample from this lens in "bad" weather conditions.Time : 10 november 2006 11:46Body : Canon 350d at 100 isoShutter : 1/160Apperture : 4With IS on "1"A tiny bit of post-sharpening & contrastThe woman received the picture on a format 20x30cm and was VERY pleased It was a picture taken with a bit of a risk, but there were no strings attached so I could go for it. Came out very well if you ask me.Greetings from GhentAlain,---------------350d - Sigma 18 200 - Canon 300 F/4 - Canon 500 F/8 - Canon x1,4II

As sharp as sharp can be! At least with my copy. I only use it wide open at f4 and am always blow away with the IQ. Then when I attach a 1.4x TC to it and have a 420mm f5.6 IS the IQ is virtually the same as with out the TC except the focus speed goes from Canon L speed to Canon USM speed.

wiselion wrote in post #2283352Just wondering how sharp this lens is shot at f/4. I may want to get this lens for hiking around.

Mike

At f/4 the non IS version is sharper than the 300 f/2.8 I had.The IS version of the f/4 lens is perhaps very slightly inferior, probably in the 300 f/2.8 ballpark.Now, you go and chew on that

If you can not hand-hold a 300 mm lens steady even at 1/300 sec, then get yourself the IS version.....most people are much better off with it in the long run.....besides, a remarkably low MFD of 1.5 m is another asset of the IS version.

I have the non IS and bought the IS to replace it. I did however take the time to shoot both on a tripod for test shot reasons. I sent the new IS back the next day. The is IS sharp but not there with the non IS.If You HAVE to have the IS then get it otherwise get the sharper non IS version. I thought Maybe I just got a not so sharp copy because I wanted to have the IS available,but in talking to others since that have had both everyone agreed the non IS is a good bit better in the optics.

wiselion wrote in post #2283352Just wondering how sharp this lens is shot at f/4. I may want to get this lens for hiking around.

Mike

Pretty dang impressive. The previous owner of my excellent copy told me that he found that if one could spare a third of a stop to go down to f/4.5, the lens then becomes ULTRA sharp. I would have absolutely no hesitation shooting f/4, but I often like to get that extra special edge out of my glass, so f/4.5 is par for the course for me. My testing pretty much bears that out. Note we're talking about the difference between "amazing" and "unbelievable", not so much "it needs to be stopped down to deliver", it doesn't really.

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